Tufts Medical Center Cancer Center, Burlington, Massachusetts
Tufts Medical Cancer Center is an integral part of the Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The center offers a broad spectrum of specialized services for patients diagnosed with cancer, including those diagnosed with lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Its experienced, compassionate team of medical professionals includes hematologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, nurses, social workers, researchers, and others. The oncology team works collaboratively to create comprehensive treatment strategies for each patient, communicating and coordinating with the patient and their family to ensure that the personalized care they receive matches their goals.[1]
In addition to high-level diagnosis and treatment, the Tufts Cancer Center’s scientists and physicians are working to explore the molecular mechanisms of mesothelioma and lung cancer through clinical trials conducted in collaboration with the Neely Foundation and serving as principal investigators on national cancer clinical trials with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology and other groups. It also conducts pharmaceutical studies and investigator-initiated trials with significant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and cancer research-focused foundations.[1]
Peritoneal and Pleural Mesothelioma Care and Lung Cancer Care at Tufts Cancer Center
Tufts Cancer Center has a robust peritoneal malignancy program that offers state-of-the-art treatment for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, as well as a nationally recognized thoracic cancer program where patients diagnosed with lung cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma can receive innovative care.
The Tufts Cancer Center Peritoneal Surface Malignancy program specifically addresses cancers that spread or manifest to the lining of the abdominal cavity. It is one of the few programs in the Boston area to offer hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a complex combination procedure in which skilled surgeons open the abdominal cavity to remove as much tumor material as possible and then administer a heated solution of concentrated chemotherapy into the surgical site. The procedure avoids the adverse effects typical of systemic chemotherapy and improves both quality of life and patient survival.[4]
For patients with thoracic cancers, Tufts Cancer Center offers evaluations and diagnostic investigations to identify the patient’s specific condition and then treatments individualized to their molecular biology and the stage of their disease’s progress. The facility staffs thoracic surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, medical and interventional pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, nutritionists, experts in pain management, and palliative care experts. These professionals collaborate and offer treatment options including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or a combination matched to the patient’s needs and goals.[2]
Notable Staff and Mesothelioma Specialists
Tufts Medical Cancer Center offers patients diagnosed with lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and peritoneal mesothelioma the expertise and dedication of highly qualified oncology professionals with a deep understanding of the challenges of these diseases. Patients diagnosed with thoracic cancers best treated with a multimodal combination of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy will be treated by such noted physicians as radiation oncologist Dr. Alexandra Sherman, oncologist Dr. David Schenkein, thoracic surgeon Dr. Rona Spector, and Director of the Cancer Center medical oncologist Dr. Rachel Buchsbaum.[3]
Peritoneal mesothelioma manifests in the lining of the peritoneal cavity. In addition to consultation with noted oncologist Dr. David Schenkein, patients diagnosed with this condition benefit from the surgical skills of Dr. Martin Goodman, who is an expert in the use of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.[4]
